Meanwhile, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke had settled in at a tavern near the port.
Watching Shanks and Orochimaru from afar, then looking at Kakashi beside him, Naruto suddenly asked,
"Kakashi-sensei, is the era of ninjas… over?"
Because whether it was Shanks, Orochimaru, or even Kakashi now, they might still be called ninjas—
but they were nothing like ninjas anymore.
There was no need to explain—Shanks, as a leader of the new era, represented the pirates.
Orochimaru had been chasing the power of Devil Fruits for a long time, and even Kakashi was the same.
Naruto, who had always been focused on his own path as a ninja, couldn't help but ask the question.
Naruto's words confused Kakashi at first, but after thinking for a moment, he understood.
"Rather than saying the era of ninjas is over, it's more accurate to say that the era where ninjas stood alone has ended."
"This is a time where ninjas and pirates exist together. For Shanks, the pirate era has only just begun. And for us, the ninja era is just beginning too," Kakashi replied.
Naruto might not fully understand yet, but the powerful figures in Konohagakure had already seen it clearly—this was a new era for both ninjas and pirates.
"Shanks has the vision to open the door to this new era," Kakashi added.
Even from Kakashi's position, all he could do was look up to Shanks.
Kakashi's strength wasn't bad, but to him, what truly mattered wasn't how strong he was—it was how to become a worthy leader.
And Shanks had become the standard that all leaders of this era were measured against.
"But for us ninjas, there's no one like Shanks in this era, is there?"
Sasuke, standing nearby, poured cold water on Naruto's excitement.
"That's true. But just because there isn't one now doesn't mean there won't be in the future."
Kakashi turned to look at Naruto and Sasuke.
"Compared to others, you two are already starting from a much higher point. The future of the ninja world rests on your shoulders."
Kakashi spoke seriously.
Right now, they were just exploring, searching for their place in this New World.
"You still have time. And if you ever take the wrong path, we'll be here to guide you toward the right one."
"There is only one Shanks in this world. And if we want to reach his level, we can't afford to take a single wrong step. That's why our path must be explored—someone has to find the right way so that you can follow it."
Kakashi's words directly revealed Konohagakure's plan.
Devil Fruits were strong, but that didn't mean ninja abilities were useless.
Right now, the ninja world didn't have anyone like Shanks, but its foundation was far stronger than that of the newly emerging pirates.
That was the reality.
The pirates had Shanks, someone who could single-handedly suppress the ninja world.
But one Shanks alone wasn't enough to create a New World.
Meanwhile, the ninja world had countless ninjas who would continue moving forward, step by step.
They would forge their own true path.
On the other side—Konohagakure!
Jiraiya stood before an ancient stone tablet, deep in thought.
"This is one of the Poneglyphs that the Sage of Six Paths wrote when he first founded ninjutsu."
Fukasaku, the Toad Sage, was studying the inscriptions on the stone.
As expected, it was filled with words about bonds and connections between people.
But Fukasaku didn't fully understand their meaning.
Perhaps only Jiraiya could grasp what they truly meant.
"The bonds between people's hearts, huh?"
Jiraiya gazed at the inscriptions, remembering the conversation he had with Shanks.
He had shared the Great Toad Sage's prophecy with Shanks, and in return, Shanks had given him some information.
"If there is anyone in the ninja world who can stand on the same level as Shanks, it would have to be the Sage of Six Paths himself."
"The sage who founded the ninja creed."
"Maybe even the Sage of Six Paths isn't as great as Shanks. After all, Shanks single-handedly created this new era."
Fukasaku sighed beside him.
Compared to the Sage of Six Paths, Shanks was unbelievably powerful in every way.
There was no need to mention strategy—he had manipulated the entire ninja world by himself.
And as for strength, Shanks didn't rely on any external power. He built the entire Haki system from scratch.
"So if we want to reach Shanks' level, we have to keep exploring. What a pain."
Jiraiya scratched his head.
He had way more responsibilities in Konohagakure than Tsunade—Tsunade just had to check in at the hospital from time to time.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, was responsible for matters that could decide the future of the entire ninja world.
"Shanks' power is about bringing everything back to its purest form, refining his strength to its absolute peak. But when the Sage of Six Paths first created the ninja creed, his vision was about bonds—uniting people's strength together."
Jiraiya realized the key to the problem.
Thanks to the records in Mount Myoboku, finding historical records of the Sage of Six Paths wasn't difficult.
And judging from the path Shanks had taken, the Sage's original idea had a lot of potential.
But even if it was possible, putting it into action was another matter entirely.
"Who knows how to do that? Even the Sage of Six Paths himself never truly established the ninja creed."
Fukasaku shook his head.
A true ninja creed would be built on the bonds between people, but the Sage of Six Paths had never fully achieved that.
Still, if the ninja world wanted to advance further, this was the only path forward.
Based on the Sage's original vision, given a few hundred more years, the ninja creed would have naturally taken shape.
But who could have predicted that after a thousand years, his two sons would still be fighting?
"Jiraiya, you don't need to rush. This is the path the Sage of Six Paths himself once walked."
"I know. But… I don't have much time left."
Jiraiya nodded, then shook his head with a sigh.
Fukasaku was momentarily stunned by his words.
"Huh?"
"I mean, I don't have as much time as you. You toads can live for centuries. But in my lifetime, I may never get to see the ninja creed truly come to life. If that happens… it'd be a real shame."
Jiraiya let out a long sigh, gazing out the window.
The sky was beginning to brighten.
He had no idea what was happening in the Land of Waves, but with Kakashi there, Naruto and Sasuke should be fine.
"I wonder what's going on with the seal inside Naruto."
Jiraiya thought about the seal in Naruto's body.
Even though the seal on the Nine-Tails had loosened quite a bit, the beast had never taken control of Naruto.
In fact, Naruto couldn't even access the Nine-Tails' chakra.
"They should be back soon."
Jiraiya shook his head to clear his thoughts and stepped outside.
Walking down the street, he noticed the lights were still on at Ichiraku Ramen.
So he walked in.
"No way! Zobei and Kotarou actually dared to question my cooking?! There's no way that guy is a better chef than me!"
Teuchi, the owner, had lost sleep ever since Zobei and Kotarou told him that Shanks was an incredible chef.
He had been obsessively refining his cooking skills every night.
And the worst part?
Zobei and Kotarou had only told him after Shanks had already left.
Seriously? As Konohagakure's chunin, they had gotten completely beaten up by a chef? That guy must be crazy strong.
At least, Zobei and Kotarou had fully accepted their loss.
But after hearing about it, Teuchi just couldn't let it go.
It all made sense now—why that guy came to eat at his ramen shop every day, trying every single item on the menu.
It seemed like a battle between chefs, yet in the end, the opponent didn't even get the chance to showcase his skills.
"Teuchi-san."
Jiraiya's voice pulled Ichiraku out of his thoughts. He snapped back to reality and looked outside, where the sky was beginning to brighten.
"Jiraiya-sama, you're up early.
Want to try our new dish?"
"Oh? A new dish? Let me have a taste."
Hearing that there was something new on the menu, Jiraiya's appetite instantly grew, and he picked up a pair of chopsticks.
"Jiraiya-sama, I've been thinking about traveling for a while to improve my cooking skills.
Do you know which country has the best chefs?"
"Hm… I'm not too sure, but when it comes to food, the Land of Tea is probably the most famous."
"Land of Tea?"
Ichiraku thought about it. Land of Tea was right next to the Land of Fire, so it wasn't too far.
A month-long trip should be enough.
Even though he was a chef, his skills hadn't improved in years.
If it weren't for Zobei and Kotarou, he might not have even realized it.
Meanwhile, Zobei and Kotarou had been keeping watch at the bridge for an entire day, crouching in the grass without moving.
But they weren't the only ones there.
A strange-looking monk sat nearby.
"Zobei, wake up."
Kotarou nudged him. It was his turn to sleep.
"Huh? What's going on… Is that monk still there?"
Zobei rubbed his eyes and looked around.
The odd monk was still sitting on a rock, staring into the distance toward the Land of Waves.
"He hasn't moved at all. Weird… He's been sitting there all night."
Kotarou lay down where Zobei had been and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, the monk finally stood up from his spot on the rock.
"Shanks… He truly is a terrifying man.
Only warriors of his level have the right to stand beside me in this world."
The monk gazed up at the sky.
Even as someone who had lived for over a thousand years, he couldn't help but acknowledge Shanks' overwhelming power.
"Even I can feel threatened by the force within that man.
A warrior like him isn't someone you can surpass just by waiting for time to pass."
His name was Jigen.
Or rather, Otsutsuki Isshiki.
He had once arrived in the shinobi world alongside Kaguya.
But after their arrival, Kaguya betrayed him, forcing him to parasitize Jigen's body to survive.
And so, Otsutsuki Isshiki became Jigen.
For over a thousand years, he had watched the shinobi world change while living as an ordinary man.
Throughout all that time, he had never considered anyone a real threat.
But Shanks' battle with the strongest warriors of the shinobi world had changed that.
Now, Jigen had set his sights on Shanks.
"It's about time… I wonder if this is my chance or my downfall?"
Jigen withdrew his gaze.
"I bet even the Otsutsuki clan doesn't know that the Divine Tree has this kind of ability—to produce Devil Fruits.
But really, that makes sense. A normal tree wouldn't just grow a single fruit. Only idiots like the Otsutsuki clan would plant the Divine Tree just to harvest Chakra Fruits."
Jigen had nothing but disdain for the Otsutsuki.
Not that it mattered—none of them respected each other anyway. But now, Jigen felt he had every right to look down on the rest of the Otsutsuki clan.
Is this really how they used the Divine Tree? They should take a lesson from Shanks. Honestly, apart from himself, every other Otsutsuki was a fool.
Even Otsutsuki Kaguya—she ate a Chakra Fruit and still ended up sealed away by her own sons.
Of course, as for himself, getting ambushed by Kaguya was different. Jigen saw it as fair. It didn't mean he was weak—it just meant Kaguya was good at scheming.
She wasn't that strong, but she was a master manipulator. Jigen could respect that. At least it proved that not every Otsutsuki was completely useless.
"Shanks… that guy's presence is something else. Even though he's already the strongest in the ninja world, he doesn't carry the arrogance of someone at the top. Instead, he's paving the way for others to rise."
"But Shanks!!"
"You never expected that there'd be someone like me in this world, did you? Since there are still three empty spots for the Four Emperors, I won't hold back."
His usually kind face now held a proud expression. After a thousand years of silence, he had finally found someone worthy of his attention.
A man like Shanks… A warrior like him… He was worth Jigen stepping forward for.
Only those at the top could understand the loneliness of being undefeated.
So he understood Shanks. He understood why Shanks did what he did.
But as far as Jigen was concerned, in this ninja world, there was no one else who could stand against Shanks—except for him.
"But there are four Four Emperors."
"Which means… aside from me and Shanks, there are others?"
Jigen shook his head at the thought.
"In that case, forget being a Four Emperor. I might as well be the Pirate King! Gahaha!!"
Jigen laughed. Seeing Shanks with his own eyes, even from afar, had cemented his decision.
He was going to be a pirate.
Not just any pirate—he would be stronger than Shanks!!
"Don't laugh so loud."
Zobei's voice cut in.
Jigen's twisted grin instantly froze. Damn it! He just embarrassed himself in front of these two idiots!
"Hey, you two, any interest in becoming pirates?"
Jigen turned to ask.
"Which crew are you with?"
Zobei asked curiously.
Jigen paused for a moment.
His pirate crew… hadn't been formed yet.
But he was different from everyone else—he came from beyond the sky, a warrior from another world. Naturally, his pirate crew couldn't be like an ordinary one either.
"Sky Pirates!"
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